Stringed musical instrument



March 26, 1929. v. c. OVERTON STRIKNGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Sept. l, 1927 lNvENToR.

Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

VALDY C. OVERTON, HOUSTON, TEXAS.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed September This invention relates to new and useful improvements ina musical instrument.

One object of the invention is to provide a stringed instrument such as a lute, guitar,'or similar instrument, with an adj ustabie neck, and means for adjusting said neck so as to maintain it in proper relation with the body of the instrument.

As at present constructed the neck of a stringed instrument, such as a lute, and the like, is made rigid with the body, and by use in the course of time the top portion of the body, adjacent the neck, gradually becomes concaved, and the head end of the neck rises above the plane of the top portion of the body, with the result that the strings become located too far away from the linger board,

kthus making the instrument practically useless. The instrument assumes this distorted shape, largely due to the pull of the strings, which gradually tends to elevate the head end of the neck, and to cause the instrument to assume a bow shape. It is a prime object of this invention to provide a musical instrument of the character described in which the neck is adjustably connected to the body, and with means for adjusting said neck to maintain it in the desired relation with said body.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adjustably connecting the neck to the body of the instrument which are of simple construction, may be cheaply produced and easily applied to any stringed in* strument, of the class referred to, and which are very eiicient in use.

Vith the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain no vel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given inthis specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein j i Figure 1 shows a plan view thereof.

Figure 2 shows an enlarged fragmentary sectional view thereof. j

Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4: of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 shows a cross sectionalview taken l on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 designates the body of the instrument, the numeral 2 designates the 1, 1927. Serial No. 216,960.

neck and the numeral 3 designates the head. The strings 4 are connected, at one end, to the string anchor 5, fastened tothe outerI end of the body, and at their other ends the strings are fastened to the keys 6, which are mounted in the head 3 in the usual way.

0n the neck 2 there is the fingerboard 7, underneath the strings, which is either permanently attached to the neck, or which may be detachably secured thereto, as by means of screws 8, and which is provided with the usual frets 9. i

The body and neck of the instrument may be formed of metal or wood as desired.

The tension of the strings gradually causes the head 3 to rise above the plane of the top of the body, and this causes the strings to become located too far away from the fingen board as shown in Figure 2, rather t-han to lie parallel therewith.

In order to adjust the neck so as to maintain it in proper alignment with the body I have provided an instrument in which the neck is adjustable relative to the body, with means for adjusting said neck, in the manner and through means'which will now be described.

Fastened to the neck end of the body 1 there is an angle brace having the arms 10 and 11, at substantially right angles to each other. This angle brace is fitted to said end of the body with the arm 10 lying against the end thereof and the arm 11 lying against the underside of the body.

The screws 12 and 13 are :itted through said respective arms and screwed into the inside block 14 within the adjacent end of the body Clamped between the upper end of the arm 10 and the adjacent end of the body there i is the wing 15, of the hinge member 16, which has an oblong hole 17 through which the screw 12 passes. This oblong hole is provided so that the hinge member 16 may be adjusted to accommodate it to instruments of different thickness.

v Fastened to the body end of the neck there is an angle bracket having the arms 18, 19. Thearm 19 is fitted against the end of the neck 2 while the arm 18 is counter sunk into the top' of the yneck underneath the iingerboard and is secured thereto by a screw, as 20. This arm is additionally secured to the neck by means of a clamp bolt 21 which is passed upwardly through the neck and screwed into said arm 18. There is an arcuate washer 22 which is fitted against the underside o1 the arm, and counter sunk therein and through which the bolt 21 passes and unto which the head ot said bolt is countersunk.

The angle bracket, at the juncture. ot the arms 18., 19 has the spaced ears 23, 23 between wl ich the hinged member 1G tits and a connecting piutie. 2J.- passes through said ears and iid hinge member and forms a hinge connection between them.

There is an adjusting screw 25 fitted through an oblong opening 26 through the trcc end ot the arm 19, and which passes through the arm 1() and the adjacent end of the body 1 as well as the block 1-1, and the in,- ner end of this atfusting screw is threaded and has the nut 27 screwed thereon with a washer 28 interposed between the nut 27 and the block 111-.

The arms 18, 19 are disposed at an acute angie. relative t each other so that the arm 19 will be spaced trom the arm 10, with a triangular space between them which is preferably .tilted with resilient material 29, such as rubber, or cork.

The head ot the adjusting screw 25 abuts the outer side of the arm 19 so that by adjusting said screw the arm 19 may be adjusted toward or 'troni the adjacent end oit the body 1. As this adjustment takes place the neck 2 will be correspondingly adjusted relative to the body 1 and in this manner the neck nmy be maintained in the desired position, relative to the body for the purpose indicated.

The lower end of the arm 19 and the head end ot the screw 25 are surrounded and enclosed by a removable hood 30 which gives to 'the work a finished appearance.

It is obvious that mechanical changes may be made, and equivalents substituted for the parts shown. and I hereby reserve the right to inake such mechanical changes and adaptations as may be found desirable and such as may be comprehcnded wit-hin the scope of the appended claims.

ils/That I claim is 1. A. str Vvaged musical instrument having a body and a neck hingedly connected thereto, an arm anchored to the end et the neck adjacent the body, adjusting means connecting saidV arm and body through the manipulation ot which the neck may be adjusted. to a seiected position relative to the body, and a resilient iiller between said arm and body.

A. stringed musical instrument having a body and a neck, an angle brace 'fastened to the .neck end ot' said body and formed with arms, one oil said arms litting against the end ot the body and the other arm itting against the under side of thebody, an inside block in the adjacent end of the body, to which the angle brace is anchored, an angle bracket fastened to the body end of the neck and having one arm lit-ted against the end ot said neck and provided with an opening and the other arm counter sunk into the top oi the neck and fastened to said neck, means forming a hinge connection between said angle bracket and said body, an adjusting screw litted through said opening and through said angle brace and block providing means 1to1' adjusting said angle bracket and neck relative to said body.

3. A stringed musical instrument havin a body and a neck, an angle brace fastened to the neck end ot said body and formed with. arms, one ot' said arms fitting against the end ot the body and the other arm fitting against the under side oiE the body, an inside block in the adjacent end oit the body, to which the angie brace is anchored, an angle bracket fastened to the body end ot the neck and having one arm 'fitted against the end ot said neck and provided with an opening and the other arin counter sunk into the top ot the neck and fastened to said neck, means 'forming hinge connection between said angle bracket and said body, an adjusting screw Ytit-ted through I said opening and through said angle brace and block providing means tor adjusting said an glo bracket and neck relative to said body, and a resilent filler between said brace and bracket.

4. A stringed musical instrument having a body and a neck, means tor hingedly connecting the body to the neck, a brace fastened to the neck end of said body, an angle bracket fastened to the body end ot lthe neck and having one arm fitted against the end ot the neck and provided with an opening and the other arm counter sunk in the top of the neck, means for fastening said last mentioned arm to said neck, and an adjusting screw fitted through said opening and having an adjustable connection with the adjacent end of the body.

5. A stringed musical instrument having a body and a neck, means for hingedly connecting the body to the neck, a b ace .fastened to the neck end ot the body. an angle bracket 'fastened to the body end of the neck and having one arm iitted against said end of the neck and provided with an opening and having the other arm fastened to the top oit the neck, means .tor itastening said last mentioned arm to said neck and an adj listing screw extending through said opening and having connection with the adjacent end oit the body.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciitication.

VALDY C. OVERTON. 

